Letter: Boards will make the right decision for our waterfront

Posted 5/9/18

Over the past three years, my husband and I have had the privilege of renovating and living in our historic home at the corner of Thames and Church streets in the Bristol waterfront district. …

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Letter: Boards will make the right decision for our waterfront

Posted

Over the past three years, my husband and I have had the privilege of renovating and living in our historic home at the corner of Thames and Church streets in the Bristol waterfront district. (Several years before moving to Bristol, John also served in an advisory capacity with his Roger Williams University business students in the planning and development stages of the now beautifully completed Armory/Harbormaster/Welcome Center.)

We love living in this remarkable, beautiful town. We have felt welcomed and supported in every interaction with neighbors, business owners and officials.

In presenting our home’s renovation plans to the Historic District Commission, we have been met with professionalism and encouragement to continue our project within federal, state and local guidelines (put in place to help cities and towns like Bristol to maintain their character, which in turn drives the local economic engine).  

I walk along Thames Street to my job at Rogers Free Library (another amazing Bristol gem!), and regularly pass the location of the proposed Belvedere at Thames development, about which I have many concerns, including: 1) a closed, unwelcoming “tunnel effect” for pedestrians and drivers alike will be created by the out-of-proportion height, volume and unbroken line of the building;

2) the large number of proposed units will naturally increase the traffic flow along Thames Street;

3) the proposed units are very small; Who will they attract? Long-term homeowners or short-term sub-lessees?

4) Do we need two pizza restaurants on State Street?

5) How will this development affect the working harbor and local fishermen?

6) Isn’t the idea that “something is better than nothing” a rather limited perspective?

7) How many variances/exceptions to the established guidelines are allowed for any one project?

John and I live at a literal and figurative crossroad of Bristol: a neighborhood of older homes, industrial buildings and businesses that have surely seen many changes over the years. We embrace change, and we are supportive of development — within the established guidelines.

As homeowners in the Bristol waterfront neighborhood, we have been careful to adhere to those guidelines, which help keep our neighborhood true to its character. We strongly feel that current and future developers should be held to the same standards.

We are thankful for a community that welcomes civil discourse with an eye to Bristol’s future. Please come to the joint meeting of the Bristol Historic District Commission and the Bristol Planning Board tonight. We are confident that they will make the right decision for Bristol’s future regarding any development of the waterfront district, starting with Thames and State streets. 

Gwenda McQuilkin

126 Thames St.

Bristol

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